Two Southern
California artists, Lloyd Hamrol and Terry
Schoonhoven, were commissioned to develop art works
for Pier Plaza. They worked intensively with the
master planning form of Purkiss Rose ' RSI Studio
Seven to incorporate their concepts into design and
construction documents. Schoonhoven developed the
shape of the wall to compliment his hand glazed
ceramic tile images and Hamrol addressed the overall
objectives of a functional amphitheater site. Both
artists worked in response to a prospective
outlining the requirements of the site and an artist
contract with management oversight with Ann Thorne,
a public art management consultant. The Public Works
and Community Services Departments have worked
together to implement this first artist designed
site for the City of Huntington Beach. After two and
a half years their project is complete.

The City of
Huntington Beach can be proud of a special and
unique place. The amphitheater, a functional
artistic site, is also poetic and expressive. The
wall of the 70' by 165' long amphitheater appear to
undulate the ocean waves and the edges of the stone
seem to spill upon the plaza. Even the cheekwalls
which provide a substructure for containment of the
amphitheater itself are streamlined like an
oceanliner's smokestack and underscore the original
design of the piling supporting the pier. The
amphitheater also provides a transition from the
man-made environment of Main Street and Pacific
Coast Highway to the natural beach, bluff and ocean
environment. The amphitheater is constructed of
Rocky Mountain Quartzite, a stone of varied
coloration and extreme durability. The stone
includes both flagstone for the flat work and the
vertical ledger stone for vertical faces of the
amphitheater. The stone slabs are laid meticulously
in place by skilled stone masons. Lloyd Hamrol
worked with his stone mason, Barry Regimal since
1983 when they worked together on their first
project in Anaheim. The amphitheater provides
seating for over 300 people.

Terry
Schoonhoven worked to create a memory of place. His
themes and metaphors for the city are communities
explored through time and space. The 40' mural which
abuts the amphitheater and can easily be viewed from
the pier, provides a counterpoint to the functional
design of the seating space. This public art element
was approved by City Council in 1994 upon
recommendation by Allied Arts Board and the Cultural
and Event Series Division.

Other works
created by Terry Schoonhoven include the wall mural,
"Traveler", in Union Station at Alameda St. near
Cesar Chavez Ave. A painter and printmaker, Terry
Schoonhoven became a well-known muralist when he and
Victor Henderson co-founded the Los Angeles Fine
Arts Squad in 1969 to paint large outdoor murals.
Schoonhoven worked independently after the squad
disbanded in 1974. He painted over 40 murals during
his career, usually as corporate commissions and
public art projects under civic percent-for-art
programs.

Born in
Freeport, Illinois in 1945, Schoonhoven received a
B.S. from the University of Wisconsin (1967), then
did two years of graduate work and taught
lithography at the University of California, Los
Angeles. In addition to local projects, he completed
murals in Minneapolis, San Antonio, St. Louis and
Texas. Schoonhoven died of cancer at home in
Larchmont Village on December 21, 2001. He was 56.

Pier Plaza, Huntington Beach, California

Erected
and opened in June of 1998, Pier Plaza is an outdoor
amphitheater with a grassy knoll and cement steps
reminiscent of those seen along the rivers and
waterways in Europe and in cities such as New
Orleans. Seating faces the Pacific Ocean so that a
beautiful pier and waves are within view. And, when
free concerts are
featured, open space allows for getting up and
tapping your toes if the music moves you.

The City's artist
designed Pier Plaza, located at the entrance to the
HB Pier, comes to life as free concerts attract
beach-goers and locals who come out to hear some
excellent musicians. Informal by nature, people come
and go, children romp and play during performances
featuring a variety of musical groups playing jazz,
rock, big band, swing and blues to ethnic festivals
which include dance performances, as well.

An ATM machine is
located at Pier Plaza, Farmer's Market and Art Fair
are held there most Fridays and a variety of
restaurants, including the world famous Dukes and Chimayo's
are just a few feet away. Don't miss the glazed
tile, mural wall depicting scenes from Huntington
Beach history. It provides a fantastic spot to take
a souvenir photo.